A print head of a printer includes a face plate through which ink is ejected onto a medium (e.g., paper). The face plate may include a coating that helps to form the ink droplets as they are ejected. As the paper moves through the printer, a gap exists between the paper and the face plate that is from about 0.5 mm to about 1.0 mm. This small distance may help to ensure that the ink lands on the desired portion of the paper. However, when the paper is not flat or smooth, the paper may extend (e.g., upward) through this distance and contact the face plate. For example, the paper may have one or more sides or corners curled up, or the paper may be cockled.
The paper may disturb or remove a portion of the coating when the paper contacts the face plate. In other embodiments, the paper may damage the structure of the face plate. What is needed, therefore, is an improved system and method for preventing damage to the print head of a printer.